Katarina’s faction was frantic, trying to restore order to the underworld after the fall of Frank’s faction.
Although they tried to absorb as much of Frank’s manpower as possible, the nature of the underworld meant that some rebels emerged. Of course, those individuals quietly disappeared thanks to Katarina and Wiz.
While cleaning up Frank’s faction, they were also busy scouting out any skilled individuals to recruit, as Ian had requested. In this endeavor, they found themselves short on both hands and feet.
“Alex.”
“Yes, Lady Katarina.”
“Did you deliver my letter to His Highness, the Third Prince?”
“Yes, of course, I did.”
“Then you must have something to give me, right?”
At Katarina’s sharp gaze, Alex quickly pulled out a pouch from his coat and handed it to her.
“It’s heavier than I expected.”
“Yes, His Highness said to use as much as needed and to let him know if we required more.”
“Didn’t His Highness send a reply as well?”
Wiz, who was standing next to Katarina, asked as Alex fumbled through his coat again before handing over a letter.
“I was just about to give it to you.”
“You didn’t open it, did you?”
Katarina asked, and Wiz answered on Alex’s behalf.
“Don’t worry, boss. The seal is intact, so it doesn’t seem to have been tampered with.”
“I would never do such a thing! I live and die by my honor!”
Ignoring Alex’s self-assured proclamation, Katarina opened the letter. The contents were not extensive, but they were important.
“Thirty, huh.”
“Sorry?”
“Alex, I know you didn’t mess with the letter, but are you sure you didn’t touch this either?”
Katarina shook the pouch, causing Alex’s eyes to widen in surprise.
“Heh, there’s no way I’d tamper with that!”
“Your eyes seem to be saying something different.”
“That’s just because I was staring at the pouch!”
Ignoring his excuse, Wiz started counting the gold coins inside the pouch.
“One, two, three… twenty-nine.”
Wiz paused at twenty-nine, and Alex began to sweat nervously.
“It’s not right! I swear I didn’t take anything!”
Seeing Alex’s desperate expression, Wiz finally chuckled and revealed,
“It’s thirty, just as it should be.”
Relief washed over Alex as he realized that Wiz had been messing with him. While he felt a strong urge to punch Wiz for the prank, he knew better than to act on it.
“See? You can trust me!”
“If you hadn’t made that mistake the first time we met, we wouldn’t have to double-check.”
Katarina’s reminder of past blunders made Alex clutch his chest in mock hurt.
“That’s harsh, my lady.”
“Enough with the dramatics. Just make sure to report back to His Highness that everything is going smoothly.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
“Oh, and one more thing to pass along.”
“Yes?”
“The noble faction seems hesitant to interfere with the underworld lately. It feels like they’re being cautious around us.”
As Katarina spoke, one of her subordinates knocked on the door from outside.
“Come in.”
“Boss, I have urgent news.”
“What is it?”
“I’ve just received word that Duke Blake personally met with His Highness, the Third Prince.”
“The Duke Blake himself?”
Understanding the implications of the Duke’s direct involvement, Katarina immediately inquired about Ian’s safety.
“Is the Third Prince alright?”
“Yes, it seems His Highness is unharmed.”
After dismissing the subordinate, Katarina turned to Wiz.
“Wiz, what do you think?”
“Are you asking about the nobles’ recent inactivity or the Third Prince’s meeting with the Duke of Blake?”
“Both.”
“If the nobles remain quiet over the next few days, I think it’s safe to assume that this is the work of the Third Prince.”
“Interesting…” Katarina’s eyes gleamed as she continued,
“It seems our client is more capable than we initially thought.”
Pointing to the pouch of gold in Wiz’s hands, she added,
“He’s got plenty of resources and isn’t backing down from a power struggle with Duke Blake. Impressive.”
“Indeed, it appears we may need to reassess our opinion of the Third Prince. I didn’t expect him to wield such financial and political power.”
Hearing them praise Ian, Alex puffed out his chest with pride.
“Ahem, I knew His Highness had potential! I wouldn’t follow just anyone.”
“It does seem like the Third Prince, once notorious as a wastrel, keeps showing us new sides to himself.”
“I agree, boss.”
“Alex.”
Hearing his name, Alex responded eagerly.
“Yes, ma’am? Do you have another task for me?”
“Yes, go see the Third Prince and find out the details of his negotiation with Duke Blake. He’s probably expecting you.”
“On it!”
After giving a sharp salute, Alex quickly left the room, leaving Katarina and Wiz alone.
“Seems like if the Third Prince did manage to come out on top in his deal with the Duke, we might need to make some swift decisions as well.”
“I agree, boss. Regardless of what conditions were negotiated, if the Third Prince secured more time to build his influence, that alone is commendable.”
Wiz’s praise made Katarina squint at him suspiciously.
“Wiz.”
“Yes, boss?”
“Ever since the Third Prince gave us the detector, you’ve been awfully supportive of him. Don’t you find that suspicious?”
Despite her intimidating tone, Wiz simply laughed.
“I’m just looking out for the gang’s best interests. Plus, I’d rather not get hit on the back of the head, so no need to worry.”
“Not get hit, huh?”
“I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t, boss.”
Seeing Wiz’s playful demeanor, Katarina couldn’t help but notice that Ian’s presence was steadily growing within their organization.
***
The Mage Tower was buzzing with rumors about the peculiar behavior of the Tower Master.
“So, are we going into lockdown or not?”
“Who knows…?”
“If we do, it’ll be the first time since the Tower Master took over.”
As the disciples murmured among themselves, the Tower Master suddenly appeared and made an announcement before vanishing again.
“Cancel the lockdown. Resume independent training.”
The sudden change left the disciples even more confused, but Deus, the Tower Master’s top disciple, stepped in to calm the situation.
“Alright, everyone, settle down. We’ve seen this before. Just head back to your rooms and focus on your magic training.”
Grumbling, the disciples eventually dispersed, not wanting to risk catching the Tower Master’s attention and incurring his wrath.
As Deus was about to return to his room, the Tower Master appeared and called out to him.
“Deus.”
“Master, what mischief are you planning now?”
“Bah, who talks to their master like that? You need more discipline.”
Raising his staff, the Tower Master prepared to strike, but Deus quickly used Blink to put some distance between them.
“You’ve improved. Your skills have gotten better.”
“Hmph, I’ve been diligently training as you instructed, Master.”
But before Deus could feel too smug, the Tower Master appeared beside him in an instant and gave him a solid whack on the back of his head.
“Ow! Master, what was that for?”
“After all I’ve done for you, feeding, housing, and training you, you decide to follow the Third Prince? How could that not irritate me?”
“But you agreed to it, Master! And didn’t you always say to never let go of someone who inspires you? Ian gives me endless inspiration.”
The Tower Master sighed at Deus’s cheeky response.
“Just don’t get yourself skinned alive. Always be cautious, and don’t reveal your full abilities.”
The sudden seriousness in his master’s tone caught Deus off guard, and he replied gruffly.
“Why so serious all of a sudden?”
“Well… it’s your choice, so I can’t stop you. Not even a dragon can change a hatchling’s mind.”
“Don’t worry, Master, I’ll make you proud.”
“Are you really committed to the path of Magic-Engineering?”
“Yes, Master. Especially now that I’ve met someone who continuously fuels my creativity.”
“Alright, so what are you working on now?”
Deus waved his hands defensively.
“I can’t tell you that, Master. I promised Ian I’d keep it under wraps.”
“Even from me?”
As the Tower Master prepared to cast a spell, Deus quickly moved to block him.
Seeing his disciple’s resolve, the Tower Master relented.
“Just remember, if the Third Prince fails to keep his promises, you’ll be back here under my watch. Don’t regret today’s decisions.”
“You’re the one who always taught me to uphold my word, Master. How could I betray that?”
The Tower Master shook his head at Deus’s stubbornness.
“If you come back here, I’ll make sure you train until you drop.”
“After seeing Ian negotiate with you, I doubt that’ll ever happen. So, stop worrying and enjoy your adventures.”
“This student of mine has no respect.”
Smack.
The Tower Master gave Deus another solid whack on the head before disappearing again.
Once alone, Deus cautiously entered his lab, eager to test out the new “Detector II” he had been working on. He couldn’t wait to see Ian’s reaction.
He was already imagining the improvements he could make to the prototype before moving to Ian’s palace the next day.
‘Just a little more tweaking before I sleep.’
As the first light of dawn crept in, Deus was still wide awake, consumed by his excitement to see Ian’s reaction to his latest invention.
Cliche Novel 